When it's freezing and you can't put the heating on and breakfast is porridge made with water...

[UndertheCedartree]

AIBU to wish so hard the uplift was never taken away? We were doing so well with that extra amount! But now that has gone and utilities have gone up we are left with little for food and heat.

Sorry, this is just a vent! Nothing anyone can do but I'm just feeling a bit upset this morning.

@SchadenfreudePersonified - please rant away! I am so very fed up of this government. It is horrible that when something happens and you really need help it is such a fight to get it.

Have you looked into your local community fridge? We’ve been really broke recently and it was suggested to me here and honestly is amazing.

www.yourlocalpantry.co.uk/ This is what we use but they go by different names so have a dog around google for your local area.

This is what I got this week for £3 at ours (added pics, hope they work).

You don’t need to be referred and you pick your own items, upto a certain value, so it’s not a food bank. It is for people who are struggling though and sounds as if it would really help you.

Olio app is good also but can be difficult if you haven’t got a car I imagine.

If you are paying by direct debit - call your energy providers and tell them you are struggling to pay and they can reduce your monthly payments for a while.

I know how it feels to be really, really broke and how it’s all you can think about, hopefully you get some helpful advice here some people have no idea how much £80 a month makes a difference.

@knittingaddict - me too. I didn't think they would be that cruel.

Also, to add flavour to food without spending on herbs etc I grow my own, and I'm certainly not green fingered so it must be easy enough!
I use old jam jars and soil from the garden (I don't know if you have a garden but maybe someone would let you have a bag from theirs?) And I got some seed packs from the £ shop (3 for a £1 I think) and grow them on a windowsill with enough light and make my own compost with left over food and tea bags to help them grow. I have basil, mint and coriander and use them to flavour all sorts of food to help with taste where I wouldn't have it normally.
I have successfully transplanted a couple of sprigs of mint and basil, though apparently this time of year isn't great for doing that they're still alive and growing! So if you knew anyone with plants you could cut from, or I'd be willing to send you some cuttings of mine, though I don't know how they'd fare in the post!

Ah, thank you @NativityDreaming. What is a space heater?

@sashh - my boiler keeps faulting and there seems to be a leak in the shower - I will definitely see if I can get any help with this.

Also there are threads on here about earning bits of extra money at home (surveys etc) - worth a look, every little helps.

Btw nido powder isnt actually that cheap.

It costs about 30p to make up 250ml of "milk" using it. A pint (568ml) of fresh milk is only 50p.

However nido does help if refrigeration is an issue or if you just want to add a spoonful for creaminess to make it go further

On that note, 300ml of double cream is only 85p (sainsburys), and the pot has 1320 calories. 2 pints of whole milk for a similar price is only 745 cal, so if you are after a creamy taste etc it can work well to buy fresh cream and add a spoonful to water porridge, goes much further than milk for the same cost.

Do you have sausage draught excluders? We have an old draughty house and these are amazing to keep the house a bit more snug, I made ours out of old jeans sewn at each end and stuffed with whatever scraps I could find.

Also Olio and Too Good To Go are brilliant for finding food locally cheaper.

I second libraries for cold evenings if there is one in walking distance. You can take kids to do homework or read books and they are usually very warm.

I’m really sorry, OP. It sounds so hard.

I’d definitely tell your DC’s social worker as they may be able to help. Also ask your local Catholic Church about the St Vincent de Paul charity as they often help families in need. Lions Clubs (a bit like Rotary) used to do food baskets at Christmas time near us when I was growing up, they may be in your area.

I’d echo what others have said about checking all your benefit entitlements, Googling local food banks etc and joining the OLIO app. Definitely go to your local Citizens Advice Bureau too.

Curtains are generally warmer than blinds, though both are great, but if you’ve not got curtain rails or poles up that may not be a cost saver at the moment.

I’ve just had a look and St Vincent de Paul list this number online to ring if you need help; worth a go if you’ve got phone credit. 07587 035 121.

I really hope things improve for you, and those like you, soon. I’ll never forgive this government for the hand they deal the worst off.

Op I'm so sorry your dealing with this, it makes me so very angry and sad. I don't have any advice as pp has already said it all, but just sending you support.

Are you renting OP? If you are it should be your landlord's responsibility to sort out repairs.

Its worth looking at WW2 home front recipes and ways of saving energy. The meals were all balanced and heathly. I do a lot of ww2 cookery

Someone referred on another thread yesterday to those who wallow in Universal Credit. I'd like to say they should read this but people like that have no empathy. There are too many like her who see fit to support this disgusting government.

We're the same - we don't put the heating on until icy outside, instead wearing extra clothes, dressing gowns, extra socks, blankets on ourselves on sofa, extra blankets on bed (and still with window open at night!). Not being stingy and not poor, but also not made of money and begrudge being forced by the government to cough up more to save their arses. What the hell has happened to the UK?!

This is why I don't like the benefit system. Some folk get loads and others not even enough to eat. Its wrong. It needs to be more level.

@UndertheCedartree please pm me if you need some clothes or blankets for your children. I have boys and girls so lots of clothes from toddler stuff right up to age 8 ish that are still in lovely condition. Happy to post to you if you need them but don't worry if not. That's fine too! Take care x

@ilovesooty

Someone referred on another thread yesterday to those who wallow in Universal Credit. I'd like to say they should read this but people like that have no empathy. There are too many like her who see fit to support this disgusting government.

those that like to sit and wallow on universal credit and other benefits

That poster should be ashamed.

For help with the boiler check you utilities, Severn Trent have quite a big charity purse / foundation and I think others do too.

OP

An unusual one but check the coins in your purse. I read about a 50p selling for £200 and then went to the coin finder website, now I didn't have any coins worth a fortune but I have one with Paddington Bear on which is apparently worth £1+ to a collector.

Check our £2 coin, it might well be worth more

coinhunter.co.uk/

Someone has beaten me to the soak the oats in water the night before trick but then cook the oats in the water for at least 10 min, till it goes almost stringy, makes it far more creamy. Hope things get better soon for you

Hunger and the cold will make you want to wallow! What else is there to do? Everything else expends energy (calories) or involves not wearing 20 layers, and it's Miserable being cold and hungry. It isn't the perfect recipe for entrepreneurship, a wonderful work ethic and endless motivation. It's the recipe for mental health problems, physical health problems, addiction and a lower life expectancy.

if you have the time sign up for some survey sites, most are pretty shit pay but it all adds up! qmee is instant cashout so you can easily hustle up enough for some milk or other small priced items, also look at cashback apps sometimes you get food 100% free but you do have to wait a few days for the money back so might not be as useful.

i am in my 60s and it is not just a conservative government

my dad was very low paid on a farm and there were no benefits to top up available to us and we had one heater in the whole house . the bedrooms were freezing and literally had holes in the wall with ivy growing through and ice on the inside of the windows . And no i am not going to say it toughened me up - it was grim and i hated it . this went on through many labour and conservative governments . food was tight and we did have people in the village who helped us out .

The world is a Terrible place that £20 a week makes such a diff

Where are you - I’m happy to buy you some food /toiletries if local or to send some money over to help

No one but esp families should have to choose between food and heat